The Rose Within the Thorn
by RyleeBeth
Summary: Kendall's cousin Alina is adopted as his sister and comes to the Palm Woods. Things change rapidly, and Alina thinks it's her fault Logan's in danger. Can the others figure out her thinking before it ends her life? No slash.
1. Prologue

_Hola readers. Prepare for a long author's note. This is my first Big Time Rush fanfiction, so some parts might be a little rough. Those of you who might have read my stories for Glee: this is going to be a total contrast to that. This story is going to be heavy and pretty dark, but my other stories were more light and humorous. Don't worry though, my sarcasm will still show up a lot in this story. Fair warning, things are going to get pretty crazy and dramatic, but not in the Degrassi kind of way, though there will be romance. I may have to up this to M in the future (this is going to be a really long story) because of the heavier themes. I think that's all I need to warn you about. Probably the only pairing that lasts the whole story is KendallxJo, but their relationship is not the focus of the story. Here's the prologue! I do not own BTR or any of their music._

Kendall's POV

"Carlos, we can't take over another music video. We barely got away with The City is Ours and allowing Camille to stay at the Palm Woods," reasoned Logan.

"If we did it once, we can do it again. We're a team, guys," I said.

"I agree with, Kendall," seconded James.

"Me too!" shouted Carlos.

"Shh! Let's not yell and bother the good people of the Palm Woods anymore, today. They already had to deal with James and Carlos's random dancing. Look, Gustavo's already mad at us for coming down with Hollywood fever. Why don't we just go with the director he brought in for Stuck? He's not that bad!"

"Logan, Logan, Logan," started James, "you really need to learn to live a little."

"We'll discuss this later," I said calmly, "my mom probably doesn't want to listen to us argue."

Everyone shut up as I opened the door to 2J.

"Hey, Mom! We're- Mom? What happened? Is everything OK?" I asked as I hurriedly made my way over to her and Katie. My mom had tears and black makeup running down her cheeks, while Katie was full out sobbing, and Katie never cries.

"Logan, Carlos, and James, could you all go in the other room so I can talk to Katie and Kendall alone?"

"Uh… sure," stammered James as me made his way to the bedroom with a speechless Carlos following him.

"Of course, Mrs. Knight," whispered Logan as he went to join James and Carlos in the other room.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Your cousin Alina…"

"What's wrong with Alina? Is she… dead?"

"No, she isn't dead."

"Then what the hell happened to her?"

It took my mom a few minutes before she could answer. The silence made my worries grow bigger and thicker. Alina was 14, two years younger than I was, and besides the boys of Big Time Rush, she was my best friend. She lived in Virginia, and we talked on the phone so much that originally Carlos thought she was my girlfriend.

"Her family, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Cameron, and your cousins John and Steven were all… m-murdered."

"What? No! By who?"

"They don't know yet. They're working on figuring that out. It turns out, not surprisingly, that we're next in line to take care of her. So, she's being adopted into the family as my daughter and you and Katie's sister and is coming to live with us at the Palm Woods. She'll sleep in Katie's room in the extra bed. She won't be coming for a while because of all the legal aspects of it, but we should warn the other boys so they're not surprised."

"A-Alina's going to be m-my s-sister?" asked Katie, who was still sobbing. I would have been comforting her had I not been shocked.

"Yes, she is. This is going to be hard to work out since she'll be grieving and everything, but I couldn't say no."

"Of course not," I said through a tight throat, "she's family."

_This was really short because it's the prologue. I promise that the next chapter will be much longer and the author's note will be much shorter. I just needed to 'set the stage.'_


	2. Group Hugs and Tears

_Thanks for all the reviews! It really means a lot to me. This chapter is going to be Kendall's POV, but I promise for some of Alina's point of view and maybe someone else's next chapter._

Kendall's POV

James, Carlos, and Logan were all baffled and speechless when my mom and I told them the news. But really, how else could they have reacted? They were just told that my aunt, uncle, and two have my cousins had been murdered, and that my one cousin who had survived was going to come live with us. Not to mention that Alina was a complete stranger to most of them. Alina had briefly met James last year at Christmas time. Logan and Carlos were far away from Minnesota visiting their families that didn't want to come out to the cold place where we lived. If I remember correctly, James seemed to be "interested" in her.

"Kendall," said Logan, who was the first to recover, "I'm so sorry. We'll all be really nice and welcoming to your cousin, I mean sister."

"What Logan said," mumbled Carlos. The normally happy-go-lucky guy had no idea how to deal with the situation.

"We're all here for you, man. I'm sorry that this is happening to you and your

new sister. She seemed really nice when I met her last year," said James.

"Thanks, guys. It's good to know that you've got my back," I thanked them sincerely.

"Hey, we're a team, right?" asked James.

"On and off the rink," agreed Logan.

"Especially when we're pranking Bitters," added Carlos.

"Group hug?" I asked weakly.

"Big time," smiled Logan, and they all closed in on me.

"Aww… you get in here too, Katie," demanded Carlos.

"Fine," she grumbled and came and joined us.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Of course," she sniffled and we all stayed in the group hug position that was centered around me. Big Time Rush wasn't just a band that I was in, they were members of my family, and my family was about to get bigger.

Later that night, I called Jo and told her that I needed to talk to her about something. She agreed to meet me by the pool. The main floor of the Palm Woods was empty except for, of course, Mr. Bitters, and Camille, who was practicing a scene. She walked up to me like she was going to give me her usual slap, but I stopped her.

"Camille, please, not tonight," I pleaded.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, immediately snapping out of her character and snapping back into herself.

"Yes, but I'm about to explain it to Jo and I've already just told the guys. Ask your boyfriend to tell you. Tell him that I said he's allowed to tell you," I said as I opened the doors and found Jo smiling at me from one of the pool chairs.

"Hey, Jo."

"Hey, Kendall. Here, sit down. What's wrong?"

Jo had her way of reading me like that. We had been "together" for two months at that point and she already was able to know if something was wrong with me from two words and my facial expression.

"It's complicated."

"I'll be a good listener, then."

I explained to Jo about Alina and her family, and how she was going to become my sister sometime within the next few weeks. Jo listened patiently with a thoughtful expression on her face which turned to one of sympathy and sadness as the story unfolded.

"Ken, I'm so sorry," she whispered before kissing my cheek, "If there's _anything_ I can do, please tell me."

"Thanks, Jo. Everyone's being so supportive and nice. I just hope Alina's friends in Virginia are going to support her until she comes to Holloywood."

"I'm sure she has lots of caring and supportive friends. You know that I've never met her, but from what you've told me, she's a very nice person."

"She is. She's really smart, too."

"She'll probably get along with Logan, then. Camille better watch out."

"Don't even joke about that. The one time James met Alina, he seemed to think she was very pretty."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm just hoping James will behave considering all that she's been going through."

"James may be an idiot, but I don't think he's that stupid."

"I sure hope not. That would make for some major awkwardness. Want to see a picture of her?"

"Sure."

I pulled out my favorite picture of Alina from my pocket that I brought to show Jo. I hadn't showed it to the boys yet because of well, practical reasons.

"I see why James was interested," laughed Jo.

"Huh?"

"She's beautiful. Is she part Asian?"

"Half Vietnamese, but obviously not on the side that I'm biologically related to her. Her Dad is… was Vietnamese. My mom's sister is how we're related."

Alina was of regular height and was very slim, but slightly muscled. She was a runner, on her school's cross country and track teams. Her hair was black with natural brown streaks mixed in. Alina's eyes were green, kind of like mine, but without the blue in them. Her eyes were pure green.

"I feel so bad for her. I can't imagine going through something so horrible. Who could do such a thing like that to her family?"

"I don't know, Jo, but they better find 'em."

"We just have to believe that they will."

"Thanks for being here for me."

"No problem, Kendall. How are your mom and Katie?"

"I can tell my mom's trying to keep it together so that the rest of us fall apart, but this is really hard on her. Aunt Rachel was my mom's twin; they were really close. Katie… I've never seen her cry like that. As smart as she is for a ten year old, coming to terms with something like this at her age…"

"She shouldn't have to think about things like that."

"No, she really shouldn't."

"I'm sure you guys will pull through, though. You're a closely knit family, and you have your friends to help you out. And you know I won't leave you through any of this."

"We'll get through this, we have to."

"I'm sorry, Kendall, but I have to go. My mom said I could only stay for a little while because of the time."

"It's OK, Jo. As I said, thank you for… everything. I'll call you tomorrow."

"You don't have to if you're dealing with other things."

"Trust me, I'll probably lose my sanity if I don't talk to you."

"Well, call me anytime if your sanity needs saving. Good night."

"Good night."

And with that, Jo kissed my forehead and left to go back to her apartment. I leaned back in my pool chair, and for the first time in years, cried.


	3. Entertaining Person

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just had to plan out the plot and decide what's going to happen now and what's going to happen later. I'll probably throw in some improvising to get there, but I already know what's going to happen in the last chapter. (But the last chapter isn't going to come along for a VERY long time) Oh, and for those who wondered about James and Alina in your reviews… you'll just have to wait and see. There's going to be a bit of a love hexagon. Yes, hexagon. _

Alina's POV

"Are you Alina Bethany Knight?" asked a woman in a business suit.

"Yes," I replied weakly. I am now, at least.

"Hello. I'm Sarah Johnson, your social worker. I'm here to escort you to the Palm Woods. I'm taking you to a Ms. Kendra Knight?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Alright then, let's get going."

Ms. Johnson led me to her car and I got in. While my situation was shatteringly depressing, I was happy, or the closest to happy that I could be, that I was going to live with Kendall and Katie. I was closer to Kendall than I was to anyone else, so I was starting to feel a little hope. Maybe I could get through this. Maybe, someday I could get through a day without crying.

"So, you're from Virginia?"

"Yes, I am."

"Where in Virginia?"

"Northern Virginia. Basically, the suburbs of Washington DC."

"My sister lives there. It's a very nice place." Way to rub salt in my wounds, lady.

"It is. I really liked it there."

"Well, I'm sure you'll take a liking to California. It's almost always sunny and warm. My mom you used to tell me that a day in the sun heals all wounds." If only a day in the sun could have brought back my family.

"The weather is nice," I managed to say.

"Very nice. Sine we're going to the Palm Woods, is one of your family members a performer?"

"My… brother is in a developing boy band called Big Time Rush," I said. Normally, I would have laughed at the end of the sentence. I don't know why, but I've always found "Big Time Rush" to be a funny name for a band. Also, I found it to be pretty ridiculous that Kendall Schmidt, of all people, was in a _boy_ band. Aren't those for people who wear too much hair gel and wear skinny jeans?

"That's great! Has he always liked to sing?"

"He used to sing my cous- our little sister to sleep at night and occasionally sing in the shower. Not that I recorded it when our families were visiting or anything."

OK, so maybe I _did_ record the sounds of Kendall singing from the shower, but I only did it because when I visited him again in the summer, I was going to try and convince him to audition for the fall talent show. Of course, he was in L.A. and I was coming to live him, but I figured that I would use the recordings later. Perhaps when a reporter wanted to know when he got his start or something. Maybe that was too mean, but I was still tempted by that option.

"He sounds like a very nice guy."

"He is. Kendall is the nicest person I know. I'm just so glad that this was the family that I was placed with. No offence to him, but my Uncle Paul kind of creeps me out."

He may have been creepy, but at least he was still alive. At that moment I was hit with the reality of my situation, as I had been several times over the past few weeks. Occasionally, I could escape from myself for a little while, but I would always be brought back down to Earth. I'd been told many times throughout my life that I tended to run from my problems. Sometimes, my mind would shut down and all I could think of was how I could get away. I promised myself that I wouldn't run from this situation, but I wasn't about to tie myself down to the changes.

"I believe you. I've spoken to both Ms. Knight and Kendall, and they both seem like kind-hearted people. I'm sure, I think Katie was her name, is also like them."

"Katie's special," I laughed lightly, "She's extremely cute, but also cunning and smart."

"Aren't all little sisters?"

"Do you have a sister?"

"Yes, her name is Alice. She's two years younger than I am, and she just earned her masters from Harvard, so I know what it's like to have an intelligent little sister."

"Hopefully Katie will be on my side. Together, we can plan and execute Kendall's downfall."

"I thought you said he was a nice guy?"

"He is, but now that I'm his 'sister,' it gives me the right to mess with him even more than I normally do."

"I take it you've been messing with him up until this point?"

"Yes, I have. I told his friend Carlos over the phone that I was Kendall's girlfriend so his friends would harass him, and this other time, I got him a bright pink hockey stick for his birthday."

"He plays hockey?"

"I'm betting that he's going to marry one of his various hockey sticks, or all of them. That's how obsessed with hockey he is."

"Well, we all have our interests."

Yes, we all do have our interests, but I'm pretty sure Kendall's fixation with slapping an inanimate object across a rink of dangerously slippery ice is unhealthy. Plus, how come hockey players always get into fights? I thought we were supposed to be telling adolescents to stay away violence. Maybe if we taught kids that, I wouldn't have been in the position that I was in. (I would later learn that wasn't the case, but that comes along later in my epic retelling.)

"I guess that's true. I mean, Kendall thinks I'm addicted baking cupcakes."

"Baking cupcakes?"

"Yes, and they're really yummy, too, but I can't eat them all. So, Katie and Kendall think I'm trying to make them fat whenever we see each other. I guess living with the rest of Big Time Rush will give me more people to stuff with sweet confections."

"That's an interesting hobby, Alina."

"Why, thank you. I'm just going to take that as a compliment."

"Good idea. You're a really entertaining person, did you know that?"

"I guess so, but I've always told myself that they're not laughing at you, they're laughing with you," I said sarcastically. Ms. Johnson looked at me like I was crazy, and bit back the urge to tell her to keep her eyes on the road, because I'm just that kind of person.

"Here we are, at the Palm Woods," said Ms. Johnson will relief in her voice.

It was time to go face my new family.


	4. The Closet

_Hello. Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I really will try to update sooner. I've just been really busy with summer reading assignments and team practices. Fair warning, there is an "interesting" conversation in this chapter. I own nothing._

Kendall's POV

"OK, guys, when she comes, try _not_ to scar her for life anymore than the past couple of weeks have," I said while eyeing Carlos, who was cleaning his helmet with a toothbrush.

"I'll have you know that this helmet requires special care!" he retorted.

"Not as much special care as these luscious locks require," argued James, who was unsurprisingly coating his hair in some random gel.

"You guys are idiots," called Katie from her bedroom.

"Finally, someone agrees with me," grumbled Logan.

"You, too, Logan."

"I am not an idiot!"

"Sometimes, the truth hurts, Logie."

"Shut it, James."

"You guys really are idiots."

"You, too, Kendall," said Mom as she passed by.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, sweetie."

"We're all idiots," smiled Carlos.

"Except for me!" objected Katie.

"Yeah," agreed Carlos, "Katie is the smartest person around here."

"HEY!"

"Fine, Logan, you're the smartest person around here, but you're still an idiot."

"How does that make any sense?"

"It just does, Logie."

"Would you stop calling me that?"

"What, so only Camille can call you that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Logie, you're so handsome!" Carlos mockingly swooned in his best "Camille voice."

"Just shut up, Carly."

"Logie!"

"Carly!"

"Logie!"

"Carly!"

"Lo-

"SHUT UP!"

"Chill, Diamond. What's your problem?"

"My problem is that all this fighting and stress is NOT good for my hair!"

"Why are you spending so much time on your hair today? Is it because Alina is coming?"

"NO!"

"It better not be," I growled.

"Ooh, Kendall's already gone into overprotective older brother mode."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Is she pretty?" interjected Logan.

"YES!" cheered James.

I turned to give James a menacing look, but Camille interrupted.

"Exactly _who_ is this pretty girl, Logie?"

"See! She is allowed to call you that!"

"Shut up, Carlos! Uh… Camille, hi. I didn't see you there. And it's not like that. You know that I'm only interested in you."

"WHO IS THIS GIRL THAT YOU SPEAK OF?"

"A-Alina."

"The girl that's going to be LIVING WITH YOU?"

"Camille, calm down… I mean, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"

"Oh, I would never hurt you, Logie, just anyone that tries to come in between us. James, you say that she's pretty? Rate her on a scale of one to ten!"

"We are NOT having this conversation," I yelled.

"Fine, but I'm going to have to make it clear that Logie is _mine_."

"Ten," mouthed James.

"I saw that, James."

"Kendall- OW! OK, I'll shut up!"

"Alina's going to be here any second," called Mom.

"That's great," said Camille with a look of anticipation on her face.

"OK, we need to get Camille out of here."

"NEVER! I mean, you'd never let them kick me out, right, Logie?"

"I- uh…"

"There's no time for that! We'll just have to lock her in a closet with Logan," suggested Carlos.

"I don't think that's such a great idea," said Logan while glaring at Carlos.

"Besides, we don't support teenage pregnancy," joked James.

"NO! We wouldn't… do THAT in the closet!"

"Oh, Logie, it's not such a bad idea."

"Camille, we're only 16 and you know the risks and we really should wait and I keep saying and, and I'm panicking and let's not and-

"Come, Logan, I must MAKE you mine."

"Sex is not the answer, Camille!"

"Yes, yes it is, Logan!"

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he screamed as Camille pushed him into the closet.

"Here's a condom," said Carlos as he threw one in the closet before locking in.

"HELP ME! PLEASE H-

Logan's cries were probably cut off by Camille's lips.

"Carlos, why did you have a condom?"

"Oh, hey, Mrs. Knight. Don't worry, I still have my innocence. I thought it was a lollypop until I read the label. I found it on James's side of our room."

"JAMES, WHAT THE HELL?"

"I bought it at the store thinking it was a lollypop until I read the label!"

"OK, then, but what were you doing with it, Carlos?  
"I was going to use it to embarrass James later."

"Hey!"

"Wait a minute, Mom," I said, "you interrogate Carlos and James about a condom, but you let Logan and CAMILLE go on in a closet with said condom?"

"This is Logan we're talking about."

"Yeah, true."

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, Katie?"

"What's a condom?"

"I call not being the one to explain that to her," chirped a new voice.

"ALINA!" we all chorused.

Alina's POV

"ALINA!"

"Hey, everybody! I compliment you all on your enthusiasm and interesting conversations."

"Alina, we've missed you, sweetie," said my new mom as Kendall got my bags and took them to the room Katie and I would be sharing.

"I've missed you two, Aunt- I mean Mom, or Parental Unit."

"Any of those three work."

"Thanks for being a gentleman and getting my bags, Kendall."

"No problem cousin, sister, sibling unit."

"So, I remember that you're James, and from the helmet that you must be Carlos, but where's Logan?" I asked.

"In the closet with a girl," smiled Carlos.

"But I thought James was the man-whore, no offence."

"None taken. But yes, Logan is the man-whore. He's totally not smart, sweet, sensitive, or cute. Not the kind of guy that you would want to date. OW!"

"Ooops, sorry, James. I didn't mean to step your foot."

"Kendall, play nice."

"Actually, Alina, Logan is not a man-whore. Carlos locked him and his girlfriend in the closet because we think that his girlfriend might… it's a long story. You don't really want to know."

"I'll take your word for it, Kendall."

"Good choice."

"No, bad choice. It's an interesting story! Well, basically, Camille is a crazy b-

"CARLOS! You've already poisoned my daughter's ears once, today!"

"Mom, it's not like I've never heard that before. The boys and even Alina use the word 'bitch' all the time."

"Oh dear God," moaned my mom-aunt-parental unit.

"Sorry about that," I apologized.

"Anyways, Camille is a crazy b-banana-head whom Logan likes. She gets jealous really easily and she heard that you were coming to live with us and was going to tell you to stay away from her dear Logie, but I locked them in the closet because wanted to spare you her wrath."

"I'm touched by your gesture of… heroism?"

"Thank you. Wait… is that a good thing?"

"I don't know. The smart one's in the closet!"

"Yes, heroism is a good thing," said Kendall.

"How good of a thing? Like a go out with him kind of good, or just be his friend kind of thing?" asked James.

"I, uh, choose not to answer that."

"Once again, Alina, good choice."

"GET ME OUT OF THIS CLOSET!" screamed Logan.

"Is he going to be OK?" I asked.

"Probably not."

"And you're not going to help him?"

"No," the three of them said at once.

"You guys are idiots."

"THANK YOU!" shouted Katie.

"I sense a previous discussion of your idiocy."

"You sense well," said James.

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

Did James really wink at me then, or was I just hallucinating?

"Well, I feel kind of guilty and I could use a good distraction from… everything, so who wants to help me unlock a closet?" I asked.

Nobody answered me.

"Fine, I'll just do it by myself."

"Five bucks says Camille slaps her," whispered James.

"You're on," Carlos whispered back.

_Reviews make me happy and give me motivation to update soon. Hint, hint. Hint, hint._


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